Vibratory multi-wave toy



Dec. 8., 1970 P. L. BROWN I 5, VIBRATORY MULTI-WAYE TOY Filed Sept. 25, 1968 mvsmoa PAUL L. anon m BY I ATT R/VEY United States Patent 3,545,126 VIBRATORY MULTI-WAVE TOY Paul L. Brown, 100 McAllister St., San Francisco, Calif. 94102 Corps of Engineers) Filed Sept. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 761,659 Int. Cl. A63h 33/26 U.S. Cl. 46-243 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention comprises a reversible motor including a rotatable shaft thereon, a source of electrical energy in driving connection with said reversible motor, a switch between said source and said motor for controlling the direction of rotation of said shaft, together with an indeterminate length of cord, a mount on one end of said cord for eccentrically mounting said cord on said motor shaft for rotation therewith in both directions of rotation, a member on the other end of said cord for holding the same in various degrees of slackness and tautness in respect to said mount whereby an indeterminate number of wave forms can be engendered during rotation of said cord in both directions of rotation, a button freely mounted on said cord between said mount and said member for movement in both directions along said cord, and a finger elernent on said member which upon engagement with the finger causes said button to move along said cord.

As will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the present invention relates to the amusement art and more particularly relates to the field of safe toys for not only children but also adult amusement.

A primary object of my invention is to provide a vibratory multi-wave toy capable of being manipulated to afford a multiplicity of different apparent wave configurations which are changeable at will by the user.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a vibratory multi-wave toy of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized by varying the degree of slackness and tautness of a cord component thereof to change at will the locations and amplitudes of apparent wave configurations created in such cord component. i A still further object of my present invention is to provide a vibratory multi-wave toy of the aforementioned character which also can include a freely movable element on the cord components which is controlled in its movement along the same in both directions of linear movement thereon.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and certain modified embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that I am not to be limited to the precise embodiments shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the parts thereof, as my invention, as defined in the appended claims, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; this view showing the apparent wave-like configurations that might be engendered during the operation of the toy.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a cord component and its mounting members with freely movable button thereon; the button in this view being shown in full and dotted lines to illustrate linear movement thereof along the cord component in two directions.

FIG. 3 is an exploded broken view of a portion of the cord component with mounting member at one end there- "ice of; this view illustrating the eccentric mounting of the cord component at one end to a motor shaft.

FIG. 4 is a broken front elevational view of a modified cord component and eccentric mount therefor.

FIG. 5 is a broken front elevational view of still an- ?ther modified cord component and eccentric mount there- FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical circuit with schematic showing of the drive elements and rocker switch controlling the circuit.

In its preferred form, the vibratory multi-wave toy of my invention preferably comprises a cord of indeterminate length, a reversible motor, a shaft on said motor and rotatable in response to the energization of said motor in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions of rotation, a source of electrical energy, an electrical circuit containing said motor and said source of electrical energy, a pivotally mounted switch in said circuit for controlling the direction of rotation of said shaft, together with means on one end of said cord eccentrically mounting the same on said shaft whereby said cord is vibrated and rotated in either one or the other of two directions of rotation at the will of the user upon closing said circuit, a holder on the opposite end of said cord for pivotally mounting the same thereon, a button loosely carried on said cord, and a finger engageable element on said holder for stopping rotational movement of said cord and effecting linear movement of said button along the same in either direction with said electrical circuit closed; release of finger engagement from said element effecting the resumption of rotational movement of said cord.

In accordance with my invention and as particularly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings, I provide a direct current reversible motor 11 which is electrically connected at the opposite terminals 12, 13 and 14, 15 of the armature of the motor is electrical leads 16, 17 and 18, 19 respectively, which are connected to contacts 21, 22 and 23, 24 of a suitable pivotally mounted switch 25, such as a rocker switch, having its main contacts 26 and 27 connected by means of electrical leads 28 and 29 to the opposite terminals, respectively, of a conventional storage battery 30, all as shown in FIG. 6. The battery 30 conveniently is removably housed in an elongated casing 31 which can be gripped by the hand 32 of a user of the toy, as shown at the right of FIG. 1. The switch 25 is so mounted in the electrical circuit that it extends through an opening 33 provided in casing 31 Within easy reach of the thumb 34 of hand 32 for manipulation thereby. The head 35 of the rocker switch 25 conveniently can be knurled for enabling easier rocking thereof by the thumb of a hand in one direction or the other to cause the contacts of the switch to engage either with the electrical leads 16 and 17 of the circuit whichare connected to armature terminals 12 and 13, respectively, or to cause the switch contacts to engage with the electrical leads 18 and 19 of the circuit which are connected to the opposite armature terminals 14 and 15 respectively, thus to cause the reverse of current and reverse direction of rotation of the motor shaft 36 of motor 11, see FIG. 3 of the annexed drawings.

As particularly illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, I provide a cord 37 of indeterminate length and provide means at one end thereof for effecting eccentric mounting of the cord on the motor shaft 36 with means at the opposite end of the cord for effecting pivotal mounting thereof at such opposite end. The eccentric mounting of the cord 37 on motor shaft 36 can be effected with a spinner 38 which is keyed to or otherwise fixedly mounted on shaft 36, see FIG. 3, such as press-fitting the same thereon. The press-fitting of these units can be accomplished by providing a boss 42 having a cavity therein for receiving motor shaft 36. The spinner 38 is formed with an opening 39 therethrough located eccentrically in respect to the center of the spinner, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. At such one end of the cord, a knot may be formed therein, or a separate element can be provided thereon so that after it has been threaded through opening 39, such knot or separate element will prevent withdrawal of the cord from the spinner 38 through opening 39. As shown in FIG. 3, such one end of the cord 37 is provided with a stop element 41 which is made to such dimensions as to over-lie the opening 39 of the spinner 38 on which it seats. The opposite end of the cord 37 is passed through a center opening 43 of a cord holder 44, see FIG. 2, and into a finger-engaging element 46 and secured thereto to prevent its release or its passing out of the center opening 43 of cord holder 44. By grasping the holder 44 between the thumb 47 and the forefinger 48 as well as middle finger 49 of the other hand 50 of the toy user, the cord 37 may be supported or held in varying degrees of slackness and tautness in respect to the spinner 38 on the cord secured to the motor shaft 36. If it is desired at any time during the rotation of the shaft 36 and consequent vibration rotation of cord 37 to stop such intrinsic rotational movement of the cord, the forefinger 48 of the hand 50 may engage with pressure upon the finger element 46 on cord holder 44.

In accordance with the present invention, I also freely mount a button 51 upon the vibratory cord 37 by merely passing the cord through an opening 52 of the button. With the cord 37 vibrating and rotating as a result of the power application to motor shaft 36, the button 52 will remain in approximately one location on the cord 37. If the cord is held in a vertical or nearly vertical position, the button 52 will rest adjacent to the bottom of the cord. If the cord 37 is held in substantially a horizontal position, the button 51 will assume a position on the cord at approximately its longitudinal center. However, by manipulation, the button may be caused to move along the cord 37. To effect this linear movement of button 51 on cord 37, the user of the toy simply engages the finger element 46 of the cord holder with suflicient pressure as to cause the cord 37 to stop its rotational movement which at the same time causes increased vibration of the cord and also causes the button 51 to move along the cord. If the cord is held in a vertical or nearly vertical position with the power on or electrical circuit closed, and the forefinger 48 of the hand 50 pressure-engaging the finger element 46 of cord holder 44, the button 51 will rise along cord 37 when the motor shaft 36 is rotating in one of its two directions of rotation, and will move toward the bottom along cord 37 when the motor shaft 36 is rotated in the other direction of rotation. Of course, if the cord 37 is held so as to assume a horizontal or nearly horizontal position with the electrical circuit closed and the forefinger 48 of hand 50 pressure-engaging the finger element 46, the button 51 will move linearly along the cord to the right hand 32 if the motor shaft 36 is rotating in one direction, and the button 51 will be cause to move toward the left towards hand 50 if the motor shaft 36 is rotating in the opposite direction. The rising and falling positions of button 51 are shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings. T o enhance the attractiveness of the activity of the button 51 on cord 37, a bright color, such as blue, yellow, orange or red, may be applied to the outer surface of the button. Variegated colors could be applied, if desired to the surface of the button rather than merely a single color.

Should it be desired that the attractiveness of the toy be enhanced, a weighted disc 53, or a series of such discs, can be strung upon the cord 37 at one side or both sides of the colored button 51. Such weighted disc 53, or series of discs, can be delineated with a contrasting color in respect to the color applied to button 51. Of course, a colored bead or series of colored beads can be strung upon the cord 37 in lieu of the single disc 53 or series of such discs.

While I have shown the cord 37 in FIG. 2 of the annexed drawings as consisting of an inner core 37' which may be formed of an inelastic fabric or a plastic such as nylon or of an elastic plastic substance, with an outer spirally wound coil 37" of a suitable inelastic or elastic plastic substance, such as one form of nylon, such cord may consist of a single indeterminate length of an elastic or inelastic plastic 137, see FIG. 4, which conveniently may be extruded from a suitable extrudcr. It may be observed here, however, that it will not be possible to cause the button 51 to move along such plain cord 137, in the absence of convolutions therein as shown. Or, as shown in FIG. 5, such cord may consist of a single coil 237 of indeterminate length and fabricated or extruded from a suitable inelastic plastic material such as the conventional coil telephone cord attached to a telephone hand set which is stretchable to suit the convenience of a telephone user.

As I have indicated above, the cord 37 or the cord 137 or cord 237 as the case may be, can be held by the user of the toy in varying degrees of slackness or tautness, as desired, between the two hands 32 and 50. With the cord held taut and with the electrical circuit closed, the cord will be vibrated and rotated so as to engender apparent geometrical forms in one, two or more places along the cord. Thus, at the left or near the cord holder 44 a first apparent geometric configuration, designated by the reference numeral 61, can be engendered, with a circular motion of gradually increasing amplitude to a peak altitude at the center and decreasing in amplitude again adjac nt to the center of the cord. This is followed by a second apparent somewhat similar geometric configuration, designated by the reference numeral 6'2, the convolutions of which are more widely spaced apart than the convolutions of the configuration 61. It is to be noted, further, that the button 51 vibrates so rapidly that an apparent configuration 51' of circular shape is created about the button 51 itself. By moving the hands 32 and 50 closer together, the cord 37 is slackened to some degree and with the electrical circuit closed and motor shaft 36 rotating an apparent elongated configuration, designated generally by the reference numeral 63, having wider spaced convolutions and being of greater amplitude than the configurations 61 and 62, is engendered with gradually increasing amplitudes from the left to center and decreasing from center to the right end of the cord 37, all as shown in FIG. 1. As indicated by the arrows 64 and 65, the configurations 61, 62 and 63 may be caused to appear as rotating clockwise and counterclockwise respectively, all of which directions of rotation being governed by the position of the rocker switch 25, as actuated by the thumb 34 of the hand 32. Variations in the number of wave-like configurations which may be created, or apparently visually presented, result from either a tcnsioning or a slackening of the vibratory cord or coil 37. Finger-tip control of the linear movement of the button '51 along or up and down the coil 37 is provided at the cord holder 44 with its finger-engaging element 46 to stop intrinsic rotation of the cord.

It will be thus clearly observed that a multitude of harmonic wave-like configurations can be created by simple manipulations of the toy under thumb and fingertip pressure, with wave amplitudes varying in size and spacing between wave convolutions, all with contrasting color effects as well as rapid change of direction of rotation of the created configurations.

It is to be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advances made over the prior art.

I claim:

1. A vibratory multiwave toy comprising a reversible motor, a motor shaft on and driven by the operation of said motor, a source of electrical energy, an electrical circuit connecting said motor to said source, a doublethrow switch in said circuit controlling the direction of rotation of said motor shaft, an indeterminate length of cord, mounting means eccentrically connecting one end of said cord to said shaft for rotation therewith in both directions of rotation, a'cord holder on the other end of said cord, and a finger-engaging element movably supported on said cord holder; said finger-engaging element being adapted to be held against said cord holder under applied pressure to stop the intrinsic rotation of said cord with said electrical circuit closed.

2. A vibratory multi-wave toy as defined in claim 1, and a button loosely mounted on said cord for linear movement along the same with said electrical circuit closed and with applied pressure on said finger-engaging element.

3. A vibratory multi-wave toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said source of electrical energy is a direct current battery, and an elongated casing housing said battery; said elongated casing serving as a hand grip at one end of said cord and said cord holder serving as a hand grip at the opposite end of said cord whereby said cord may be tautened and slackened at will to vary the number as well as amplitudes of apparent wave-like configurations that may be engendered in said cord with said circuit closed.

4. A vibratory multi-wave toy as defined in claim 1, and a button loosely carried on said cord, and means for applying pressure to said cord to stop intrinsic rotation thereof thereby to cause said button to move linearly along said cord with said circuit closed.

5. A vibratory multi-wave toy as defined in claim 3, and a button loosely carried on said cord, and means for applying pressure to said cord to stop intrinsic rotation thereof thereby to cause said button to move linearly along said cord with said circuit closed.

6. A vibratory multi-wave toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said cord is inelastic.

7. A vibratory multi-Wave toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said cord is elastic.

8. A vibratory multi-Wave toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said cord is an elastic plastic coil of an indeterminate number of convolutions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,043,052 7/1962 Stanzel 46-243 3,135,066 6/1964 Scherer 4647 3,224,142 12/ 1965 PaWelka et a1. 46243 LOUIS G. MA-NCENE, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. 01. X.R. 46-47 

